1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for causing penile erection wherein the system includes a vacuum source and/or supply device, a housing configured to at least partially receive therein a penis, and a garment or support configured to retain and/or support the housing. The invention also relates to a system for causing penile erections, wherein the system includes a housing configured to at least partially receive therein a penis and a garment or wearable support configured to retain and/or support the housing. The invention further also relates to a method of causing penile erections, wherein the method includes positioning a garment or support on a user, whereby the garment or support is configured to retain and/or support a housing which at least partially receives therein the user's penis. The invention additionally relates to a method of causing penile erections, wherein the method includes placing a housing at least partially over or covering a user's penis, supporting the housing on the user in a hands-free manner, and producing a vacuum in the housing for at least one predetermined time period while the user is at least one of sleeping, oriented in a generally horizontal position, and being treated for a condition which results in the user having lost, at least partially, an ability to achieve an erection at least during sleep, and specifically (rapid eye movement) REM sleep. The invention also relates to a method of treating a medical condition, wherein the method includes causing a vacuum in a housing for at least one predetermined time period while the housing is at least partially arranged over or on the user's penis in a hands-free manner. The medical condition may be a condition which results in a user having lost, at least partially, an ability to achieve an erection at least during sleep, and specifically REM sleep. The invention also relates to a method of treating the dysfunction, diminished, or loss of nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) and/or erectile dysfunction (ED), which can result from, among other things, a surgical procedure such as, e.g., radical retropubic prostatectomy. The invention also relates to a method and/or device which can treat the potential loss of penile length that can result from the patient having diminished NPT and/or ED. The invention also provides for a system and method for treating disease states that result in ED and/or penile shortening. The invention also provides for a system and method for rehabilitating the penis. The invention also provides for a system and method for preventing ED and/or penile shortening. The invention also provides for a system and method for stretching the penis to prevent and/or treat, among other things, ED and/or penile shortening. The invention also provides for a system and method for simulating natural erections in order to prevent and/or treat, among other things, ED and/or penile shortening.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) is a natural or normal spontaneous occurrence of an erection of the penis during sleep. Such NPT events result in regular and intermittent erectile activity which is important for maintaining erectile tissue viability and sexual function in men. An NPT event is characterized by the man achieving an erection and maintaining it for between about twenty minutes and about forty minutes. For example, during a typical eight hour sleep, men (on average) can have four erectile episodes each lasting up to about 45 minutes. This results in a total duration of about three hours of penile erection. NPT events are also characterized by normal and healthy blood flow to the penis with the penile blood having good or normal oxygenation. Men typically experience several NPT episodes during night-time sleep, and more specifically, during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) can have diminished to non-existent NPT. It is even believed that NPT events play a role in restoring and/or maintaining penile length. Thus, if a man experiences diminished or loss of NPT, especially as a result of or in combination with ED, he may experience a loss of some, or even significant amount, of penile length. The health of the penis may also suffer from not having normal and healthy blood flow to the penis which typically occurs with NPT. The loss of penile length can, in particular, be a significant negative side-effect of having diminished NPT and ED. As such, it would be desirable to provide a treatment which can, among other things, restore and/or provide normal and healthy blood flow (and/or oxygenation and/or stretching) to the penis and/or which can restore or maintain penile length.
Devices are known which can detect whether a man has diminished to non-existent NPT. Typically, a device is placed around the penis during sleep to detect changes in girth. Information from the device is provided to a computer for analysis. If no nocturnal tumescence is detected, if the man has been diagnosed with ED, and/or if the man would like to address loss of penile length possibly resulting therefrom, the man may be a candidate for using the invention.
Furthermore, it is known that “stretching” is a natural consequence of penile erection or tumescence. In fact, known devices function mainly to stretch the penis by subjecting it to vacuum.
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